Till (2022)

This is a very good movie and can be a difficult one to watch if you know the history as I did, I of course knew where it was going front the beginning and where it would end up. The writing was strong and the acting superb much of the time. I highly recommend it for anyone young or old who is unfamiliar with he story. Despite the rawness of Danielle Deadwiler’s performance and the clean way the tragedy unfolded, on some weird level I wasn’t as affected emotionally as I would have expected to be. I don’t even know why. A few intangible reasons perhaps? Such as not feeling a lot of chemistry between the main characters. Like I say, I am not even sure myself. It is an excellent movie, but not one that will stick with me as a powerful slice of history like this should, or make me likely to feel I have to watch it again. But yes, do see it once at least.

Based around the true story of the appalling murder of the young Emmett Till in a racially divided 1950s USA, this delivers a truly powerful performance from Danielle Deadwyler as his mother. A woman who becomes distraught, angry and determined. Determined that those who killed her child are brought to justice. The history, sadly, tells us just how the judicial process of Mississippi back then was just as bigoted as the vast majority of the white folks who treated African Americans as little better that labouring cattle. This film is well put together, with plenty of attention to the aesthetics of the scenarios. What helps is stand out though, is the lead performance. It is gently complemented by a supporting cast that includes the engaging young Jalyn Hall as the optimistic and decent young man, but it is really all about Deadwyler and her nuanced and thought-provoking effort as the mother who funnels her distress and despair into something positive. For her, and for a broader society at large that was either unaware or just indifferent to the practical, political and downright dangerous obstacles faced by those of a different colour if they even thought about staring from the prescribed social "norms". Chinonye Chukwu keeps the pace of the story tight and well focussed - there is little room for sentiment or melodrama in this drama. There's a slide at the end that rather sums the whole thing up - the anti-lynching legislation that bears this young man's name was only implemented in 2022!